Ansonia's Judge Hoyle swears in Judge Hoyle

Updated 12:41 am, Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Outgoing Probate Judge Clifford D. Hoyle swears in his son Clifford P. Hoyle as the new Probate Judge for the Derby Probate District, as his daughter-in-law Jackie holds the Bible, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015, in the Aldermanic Chambers at Ansonia City Hall. less

Outgoing Probate Judge Clifford D. Hoyle swears in his son Clifford P. Hoyle as the new Probate Judge for the Derby Probate District, as his daughter-in-law Jackie holds the Bible, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015, in the ... more

Outgoing Probate Judge Clifford D. Hoyle sits with his son Clifford P. Hoyle before swearing him in as the new Probate Judge for the Derby Probate District Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015, in the Aldermanic Chambers at Ansonia City Hall. less

Outgoing Probate Judge Clifford D. Hoyle sits with his son Clifford P. Hoyle before swearing him in as the new Probate Judge for the Derby Probate District Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015, in the Aldermanic Chambers at ... more

John Sponheimer speaks as outgoing Probate Judge Clifford D. Hoyle sits with his son Clifford P. Hoyle before swearing him in as the new Probate Judge for the Derby Probate District Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015, in the Aldermanic Chambers at Ansonia City Hall. less

John Sponheimer speaks as outgoing Probate Judge Clifford D. Hoyle sits with his son Clifford P. Hoyle before swearing him in as the new Probate Judge for the Derby Probate District Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015, in ... more

"This is a proud moment for me," said the elder Hoyle, who was first elected in 1976, when voters sent Jimmy Carter to the White House.

But unlike his son, who was the Democratic endorsed candidate and won handily in November, the elder Hoyle had to go through three elections before beginning his service with the unexpired term of then-Probate Judge Thomas Bennett, who died in office.

"I had to win primary elections in August and September, and then the general election in November," said the elder Hoyle. But after those battles, he easily won re-election to nine successive four-year terms. That longevity made him the most senior probate judge in the state.

Now approaching the mandatory retirement age of 70, he chose not to run for re-election in November.

"I wasn't even born when my father was first elected," said the new Judge Hoyle, 36. "How does one get to serve 38 years as a judge when not appointed for life? A very high bar has been set."

But the younger Hoyle told the crowd that spilled into the hallway that he will continue to follow the standards his father set by treating everyone who comes in with "courtesy, compassion and dignity ... no matter whether they are rich or poor, what their racial or religious background or their sexual orientation."

"If I don't meet that standard. then I'll be out in four years," he said.

"I can remember holding Cliff and his sister ... on my lap when I was operating an excavator at their house," said Cassetti, owner of Birm-1 Construction. "I'm confident he's up to this important task."

The Probate Court's Derby District includes Ansonia, Derby, Seymour and Woodbridge.

"He's going to be a great judge," said John Sponheimer, the new judge's godfather, who served as master of ceremonies. "He saw firsthand how to run a compassionate court and treat people properly."

The new judge is a graduate of Boston College and Suffolk Law School. He lives on the city's hilltop with his wife Jackie and their 3-year-old daughter, Maggie.

His brother, David, is a New Canaan lawyer who specializes in probate and elder law matters.

The new judge said he completed the 40-hour classroom training required of all incoming probate judges and spent eight hours watching other probate judges conduct their business.

"That gives you a good perspective on how different judges handle their court," he said. "But living with my father, I knew so much about Probate Court before I even stepped into a law school classroom."

Wednesday is his first day as a judge, and the younger Hoyle said his calendar is filled with changing a person's name, administering a will, accounting on a trust and resolving a matter involving children.

Meanwhile, the elder Hoyle is not retiring from law. He's going back full time to the Hoyle & Sponheimer law firm on Wakelee Avenue that he helped create. The new judge also has been a firm member for the past eight years.